Truform Stockings Donner, Helper for Applying Compression Socks, Regular Size Foot Zone for S-XL Garments

I’m updating my first Review to pass the word that the Amazon listing for TruForm Compression Socks Donners was fixed within 24 hours of my review and my order for a Tall Handle Regular Zone Donner, with the 18 inch tall handles arrived yesterday and it is PERFECT! I used it this morning to put on my TruForm open-toe compression socks and, while they are tight, the longer handles made “donning” them very easy. Once the socks were on my legs, I used the donning gloves to slip the top of the docks down a little, to have them about 1 1/2 inches below the top of my calf. I used the gloves to smooth out the wrinkles in the elastic fabric of the socks and I stood up and realized my calves feel very comfortable. The donner comes with very good user instructions with accompanying color pictures. I remain very impressed with TruForm and their line of products. *************** Original Review My vascular surgeon has me wearing 20-30 mmHg compression socks before vein surgery. She demonstrated their Truform Donner and it made putting on the tight socks very easy. I came home and purchased the Regular Zone Donner, like my doctor had used, and it works perfectly. But after inserting my toes and heel into the sock, I was having trouble reaching down far enough to grasp the handles and start using the frame to pull the sock up my leg to the point where I could let go of the handles and pull the top of the sock up. I took my Donner to an appointment on Thursday and showed her the problem and she said I need the larger Donner. I came home and initiated the return of my original purchase and went back to the Amazon listing and, seeing only two Donners listed, ordered the Large Zone Donner. It arrived today (Sunday) and it is HUGE! My socks won’t stretch over the sock expansion guide bars. So, I looked at the Amazon listing again and realized the descriptions include only a Regular Zone and a Large Zone - nothing said about a Tall Regular Zone Donner. I went to the Donner Page and looked, and then I re-read the Amazon listing and looked at all the pictures, and found that there are two Regular Zone donners - one with handles 13 inches tall, and another with handles that are 18 inches tall. But the TALL Regular Zone Donner isn’t one of the three choices in the Amazon listing. However, I scrolled down the listing and (finally) realized that there is a Truform-provided sizing chart with a full description of the three donners - and their individual Model Numbers. The REGULAR ZONE Donner with 13 inch handles is their Model 0752/R. The TALL REGULAR ZONE Donner is their Model 0752/T - and the Amazon listing has it mistakenly identified as something like “One Unit Package” - or words similar to that. (I can’t scroll up to check the exact wording without losing this writing) If you want the TALL Regular Zone Donner, it is identical to the Regular Zone Donner except the handles are five inches taller - making it much easier to use. I’m 5’8” and the 13 inch handles are just too short. The LARGE ZONE DONNER, Model 0752/L, has a “mouth,” or area for your foot/calf to start into the sock, that is 6 inches wide. Both REGULAR DONNERS are only 4 inches wide in that area. The handles on the LARGE ZONE DONNER are 18 inches and the “Donning Zone” (sock slide down area) is 10 inches high, one inch more than the REGULAR ZONE donners. Until the listing is changed, if you pick the item listed as “One Unit Package” (or similar description), scroll down until you see the manufacturer’s information about the item you picked and just verify that you are ordering the Model 0752/T. One other, very important discovery. Trying to slip the tight socks over the donner frame or up or down my leg was a pain in the tookas. They wrinkled or rolled up on my leg and my hands and fingers could not smooth them out. My doctor told me I need to wear gloves that have a rubberized gripping area. She handed me a pair and sliding the socks onto the donner frame and up onto my leg and smoothing them out was suddenly almost effortless. Truform sells Donner gloves for about $9, but I found that cheapy $1 gloves with rubber on the palms snd fingers worked - and blue Nitrile gloves also work. However, I bought the Truform gloves and they do work the best. I’m probably going to be wearing compression socks from now on, and the Truform socks and their Donners and Donning Gloves, are well-designed and work very well, like a system. My legs feel much better when the socks are on and smooth fitting. The donner frame and gloves make the task of getting the socks on a very easy task.

I'm 6'4 with issues bending over. I bought the white wire sock-stretching device to aid in putting on compression socks. The video (not this one in particular) made it seem the taller version would "work" just fine for taller people (as it advertised). Not so. The TOP of the (very lightweight, and thus flimsy) device is so close to the ground...STILL (even though it was supposed to be "taller" than the smaller device)...that it's still impossible for me to reach while standing and putting my foot into the sock. And because the device is too lightweight, AND because the close-to-the-ground-and-thus-useless "handles" are useless and unsteady, you can't use it while sitting down on a bed or chair with any degree of ease. SO: too difficult (without a wrestler's massive hand strength) to stretch a compression sock OVER the too-small area to stretch it, so you can't pull it far enough to be able to completely fit your foot INTO the sock. AND the outside handles are ALSO too close together! Even the larger version (which I foolishly purchased after being duped by a YouTUbe video for it, the lady demonstrating it must have been less than 4 feet tall) is not made for tall people (at ALL), unless they're completely flexible and have a wrestler's hand strength and have no back issues. In other words, not for people who are tall or who have leg issues so that they need compression socks in the first place. USELESS product. IF it's for tall people with leg issues, it should be WIDER and HIGHER. I can't imagine how small the SMALL version is...is THAT for people 4 ft tall, or smaller?

I've been wearing compression knee highs for several years due to CVI, so I'm sort of used to the process of getting them on and off. I've been using another donner since December 2014, and I have a routine for getting them on that works for me. But it's starting to show its age a bit -- it's still usable, but I wanted to see if I could find another one that might be a little sturdier. Saw this Truform donner, and decided to give it a try. It's about half the cost of my original donner, so I wasn't expecting it to be as sturdy as my old one. But I figured for the money, if it lasted more than a year, it was still a little ahead of the old one. I needn't have been concerned. This is MUCH sturdier than the old one. The wire that makes up the frame is larger, so that gives it a less "flimsy" feel. I got the larger size with the 5"-wide opening (the smaller size is 4" wide) -- my calves are about 19" -- and it's perfect. Bear in mind that if you wear smaller stockings, the 5" opening may be too large to get the socks onto the frame. So pay attention to size, and order the size you need. A quibble (seems to be common with every donner I've seen): There are minimal instructions provided with this. If you are new to using a donning device like this, be prepared for a "learning curve." It may take you a week or so of daily use to get comfortable with the whole process (loading the sock onto the device, then getting it onto your foot/leg). First things first: the socks aren't easy to load onto the device at first (you'll get used to it with more practice). This donner is easier than my old one, probably because the "wire" is large and the sock slips on easier. I load my socks based on the instructions, just to the point where the heel has cleared the opening. I put mine on sitting down (bad back/etc.), so once the sock is loaded, I just get my foot into the sock, lining up the heel, then put my foot on the ground and pull until the sock is about halfway up. Then, I just grab the top edges of the sock and finish easing it off the device, and up my leg, being careful to ease out any wrinkles on the way. Getting the heel placed correctly is CRITICAL -- miss that, and you'll have problems with pinching, etc. Honestly, without a donner like this, I wouldn't be able to get into my socks at all, and I HAVE to wear them every day or risk the consequences (really, not pleasant ... ). That I can get a donner for a reasonable cost that has high-quality materials and construction is a huge relief! Solid well-earned 5 stars.

Pros: It works effortlessly and makes your compression stockings feel really good. (if you get the right size). Cons: I didn't measure the actual dimensions, but the XL size is HUGE and needs an area about 12"wide x20"tall x 16"deep to store it. The ergonomics need adjusting to make it usable. The handles and foot part are tall and at a severe angle such that the device barely stands up on it's own. This placed the handles uncomfortably in my groin area. If I tilted the device forward to get the handle out of my groin, it made the foot part tilted too far forward and at the wrong angle to be able to put my foot into the stocking. It would work considerably better if the angles were more upright. While this concept works great at putting compression stockings on, the ergonomics makes it difficult to use. It's also important to get the correct size. I assumed since my calves are too big for cowboy boots that I'd need the XL size. I didn't. The part the sock goes on is close to 7" wide and probably 14" or so tall. The width was too wide to get my medium compression socks onto it but worked fine for low compression. The handles are ~20" tall and due to their angle they're 6-8" behind the foot part. As stated above, this put the handles in my groin area. With me being fat, my belly got in the way of lifting my foot high enough to get into the stocking. I would suggest that TruForm change some of their angles, and provide some sizing guidelines so people know what size they need.

Fewer of these donners would be returned if Truform provided better instructions, not just on the product page, but packaged with the device. I'm sure they think their instructions couldn't be clearer, but they're wrong. Before using the donner for the first time, orient yourself by holding the donner against the back of your leg so the curve in the donner fits around the back of your calf. Your leg is now in front of the donner with your toes pointing forward. That's where the sock will need to start out. Follow these steps: 1) Position yourself behind the donner. With your thumbs and fingers grasping the top of the sock, hold the sock in front of the donner with the toe box pointing forward. 2) Pull the top of the sock inside out over the frame in the middle of the sock donner; keep working the sock down until the heel pocket is centered at the top. Note: Being able to center the heel pocket is the best feature of the sock donner. Depending on sock sizing and compression strength, you may find it best to pull the heel pocket just to the top of the donner or past the top. 3) Insert your foot into the sock and position your toes where you want them in the toe box. 4) Pull the sock up your leg with the donner. 5) Adjust and smooth the sock as needed. If it comes up too high, this may involve rolling the top back down to the heel and allowing the fabric covering your foot, ankle, and calf to "relax" more as you pull it up. Or you can skip the donner and do this: 1) Stick your hand into the sock (right hand for right foot; left hand for left foot) until the heel of your hand is in the heel of the sock. 2) Peel the sock inside out down your arm to the heel. 3) Remove your hand while keeping the sock in position. 4) Work your foot into the sock up to the heel. Note: This can be done "straight on" by bending over (in that case, it doesn't matter which hand you use for which foot) or sideways with your ankle across your knee. 4) Pull and smooth the inside-out top of the sock over your heel and up to below your knee. Is the donner worth having? Is it easier than using your hand as a donner? For me, the physical effort and back strain seem about the same. Neither method is easy, but each gets easier with practice. I'm going to keep the donner rather than return it. I'll probably use it some of the time.

It is well made and sturdy. If you try to return it you will be charged $11 postage. Is not intended for, nor will it work, with 20-30mmhg graduated compression socks. The instructions tell you not to expect it to work with any socks other than the manufacturer's brand of sock.

01/20/2018 Update: Trying to make sense of widely varying reviews of this product. Some comments: ● I notice that the 199 (as of this writing) customer reviews cover ALL three sizes--Regular, Tall, AND Large. When you read a review, specifically note which size the customer purchased. ● According to the accompanying photos, the Regular and Tall sizes have a "Donning Zone Width" (DZW) ("B"; the width of the central column that the socks fit over) of 4". That should be much better for most socks. ● The claimed DZW for the Large size is 6". But that is the INSIDE diameter. A sock must fit over the OUTSIDE diameter, which is a full 6 1/2". (I have it right in front of me.) Regardless, no socks I own will stretch without damage to over 6" in full diameter (in all directions). ● As we all know, the sketchiness of socks and stockings varies widely. Nylons and pantyhose (I believe) are very sheer and stretchy. Some regular socks can be pretty stretchy, also. But compression stockings and some regular socks can be pretty un-stretchy. I tried regular socks (cotton and man-made fabrics) and three brands of compression-type socks on the Large size device. While I could (with effort) usually get the open end of the socks onto the device, no way would a satisfactory length of sock fit onto the 6 1/2" diameter center column. ● Is it possible that some (not all) positive reviews for the Large size are from questionable sources? Just asking... Or they maybe they are from people using particularly stretchy socks. ● Despite the poor return policy, I am going to try the Tall size. Fingers crossed that the smaller DZW will allow me to get my 3XL compression socks onto it. I will provide an update once I receive it. ***** Original Review ► Complaint # 1 (specific to the Large size only) -- Even large socks DO NOT FIT onto the device. I am using 3XL calf-high McDavid recovery-compression exercise socks. I like them, but like a lot of compression-type stockings they are hard to put on. I purchased this Large Truform Stocking Donner because it says it is for 2XL to 3XL socks. Should be a no-brainer, right? Wrong. The Truform device is well-made and sturdy. I like that the central installation-column (the part you theoretically slide the socks over) has smoothly-rounded edges (unlike a Jobst donner I tried) and should not tear or rip stockings. However, with its HUGE installation-column width of 6 ½”, it is just IMPOSSIBLE to stretch any socks I wear fully onto this device. I tried and tried. No luck. I am 6’ 5” tall, weigh over 205 lbs., and workout every day. I am not weak and have no arthritis in my hands. But I cannot get socks fully onto the device. If I can’t do it, with 3XL socks, my guess is that 90% of people using even big compression stockings won’t be able to, either. Conclusion: AVOID THE “LARGE” SIZE. (The regular or tall sizes may be much better for most people. But see Complaint #2.) ► Complaint # 2 (applies to this seller, in general) – Return policy. I carefully tried to put socks onto the sock donner, found that it would not work, and was prepared to return the Tall Donner (in perfect shape) for a refund or exchange. But the return instructions, from CompressionStockings+, say: • Items must be unopened. • Buyers must pay for return shipping (to Cincinnati). • There is a 20% re-stocking fee. Let’s optimistically assume that the “unopened” requirement is for the Company’s garments only, and not for this all-metal metal device. (But who knows? I could pay to send it back only to have a refund refused, since I had to open the package to try it out.) Worse, since the original purchase price was $21.20 (with free shipping and no tax) it is hardly worth it to return the item. Shipping and re-stocking charges may easily total $20 or more. So due to a misleading description I am left with a well-made device that does not work (for me). ► LEARN FROM MY EXPERIENCE/MISTAKE, AND THAT OF OTHER COMMENTERS. (Check out all the 1-, 2-, and 3-star reviews--almost 40%. They are there for a reason, folks.)

I have been undergoing wound care on my ankles for over three months. Because of this, my lower legs are heavily wrapped with 4 layers of different bandages and wraps. Needless to say, they are ugly and embarrassing. To add minor compression, I wanted to top off the wraps with a mild compression stocking, which not only looks better but provides a bit more compression. As my doctor says, "Compression is my friend". This device works great for sliding up my compression socks. I highly recommend this for anyone struggling to put on their compression stockings.